GOVERNMENT

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Employment change from last quarter	+ 3.9
Employment change from year ago	+ 2.2
Wage change from year ago	+ 5.2

QUARTERLY

Government employment seasonally advanced adding 11,767 employees for a gain of 3.9%. Local Government reported the largest expansion adding 10,963 over the quarter. A full quarter of teachers and school staff back on the payroll after their summer hiatus generated most of the employment increase. Education employment rose by 16,102. Gains were offset by seasonal losses in Recreation and General Government down 1601 and 3743, respectively. Losses resulted from cutbacks following the end of summer recreation programs and outdoor building and maintenance activities undertaken by many municipalities. Quarterly, State government added 1042. Expansions occurred in Education, up 1549, as many returned to payroll following summer break. Land, Mineral, Wildlife & Forest Conservation reported a seasonal drop of 621 when parks and recreation areas slowed down after the summer. State employment also lost 160 over the previous quarter following the closure of the 1998 State Fair. Federal Government was down 238 employees. Gains in Postal Service employment, up 1222, to cover the Christmas mailing rush were negated by losses of 339 in National Parks, 703 in Natural Resources and 206 in Defense.
ANNUAL

Annually, Government employment rose 2.2% adding 6702 employees. Local Government produced more than 70% of the growth adding 4792. More than 2200 employees were added in Education as school districts expanded to accommodate student increases. Local government also saw the addition of 1074 to General Government (91). Service expansions throughout the state due to burgeoning populations caused most of the increase. Health Services added 846 employees. Most of the gain was in hospital staffing and about 40% occurred during the transition of one hospital from a city staff to hospital district. Employment in State Government rose by 1765. Increases of 750 occurred in Education and 738 in Justice, Public Order & Safety. Almost 500 were added for prison expansions and increased staffing in the court system added another 200. Annual gains in Federal government employment were 145. The Postal Service grew by 1115 with slightly more than half of the gain resulting from extra heavy staffing for Christmas in its Denver facility. Employment decreases of 500 in the Department of Defense and 120 due to the Fitzsimmons hospital closure wiped out the large gains incurred by the Postal Service.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Fourth Quarter 1998